In this episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I’m back with another collective monthly tarot reading, and for September, I’m exploring The Courage to Become, which is a four card tarot spread I originally created around identity, existentialism, and the often uncomfortable process of growth and change.Spoiler: Apparently, September is the month of Pentacles - I’ve been pulling them personally and three of them show up in the reading!Pulling the Knight of Pentacles, Six of Cups, Page of Pentacles, and Six of Pentacles, I explore who we may be becoming collectively, what frightens us about that transformation, what makes it exciting, and what remaining exactly as we are might ultimately deny us.The Knight of Pentacles kicks us off and I end up spending quite a bit of time with this knight, so if you struggle with this card, I hope this is a helpful episode for you. I also explore how in a culture that rewards urgency, immediacy, productivity, and reactivity, this Knight asks us to slow down and be intentional about where we focus our attention. I touch on the importance of responding vs reacting, and why being strategic and willing to tolerate uncertainty may be our own form of resistance.I also infuse the existential psychology of Rollo May and Erich Fromm, particularly their ideas around courage, freedom, responsibility, identity, and the anxiety that accompanies getting to choose who we want to become. Fromm says that freedom sounds wonderful until we realize it also means that we have to accept responsibility for our choices and I think the Knight of Pentacles is well aware of that.Next, the Six of Cups brings us directly into our relationship with nostalgia and the safety of familiarity - a cute nod to our 200th episode about nostalgia previously. This card asks us, if we’re becoming something new, how do we make sure we aren’t also just recreating a new version of the past? I explore why familiarity can feel safer than freedom, how nostalgia can pull us toward old identities and systems, and the distinction between being shaped by our history vs repeating it.The Page of Pentacles then offers us some hope by giving us permission to embrace beginners' energy. We don’t have to know exactly what comes next because how fortunate are we that we get to experiment, question, learn, and participate in the ongoing act of creating ourselves.Finally, the Six of Pentacles turns our attention toward reciprocity, community, and highlights our individualistic collective culture. This card asks us: what is our hyper-independence costing us? And what would life look like if we embraced individuality without abandoning our communities?This September tarot reading ultimately became an exploration of identity, existential psychology, community, nostalgia, uncertainty, and the courage to become something we’ve never been before. The cards suggest that it’s about being willing to move toward the future intentionally, remaining curious about what we’re creating, and resisting the noise to pull back from collective support.Want more of this type of tarot experience?📚 Order my book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow for more therapeutic tarot practices!🌙 Stay Connected With Me💌 Follow me on Instagram:⁠ @thetarotdiagnosis⁠🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at⁠ thetarotdiagnosis.com⁠👥 Join ⁠The Symposium⁠ — my tarot & psychology membership community If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Deep Resonance Sound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by Timmoor from Pixabay

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related